STEPLADDER FOLDING LEG

• US 20200131850A1
• Filed: 10/23/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tricam Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Tricam Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Wernberg, Benjamin M., Williams, Benjamin P., Foley, Joseph P., Simpson, Dennis D.
• Granted Patent: US 11,391,089 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: E06C 1/16 with hinged struts which rest on the ground with struts rigid with the ladder E06C1/24; having platforms E06C1/39
• CPC Class Codes: E06C 1/18 with supporting struts formed as ladders E06C1/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E06C 1/38 Special constructions of ladders, e.g. ladders with more or less than two longitudinal members, ladders with movable rungs or other treads, longitudinally-foldable ladders
• CPC Class Codes: E06C 1/387 having tip-up steps
• CPC Class Codes: E06C 7/16 Platforms on, or for use on, ladders, e.g. liftable or lowerable platforms aspects relating to the lifting B66F
• CPC Class Codes: E06C 7/42 Ladder feet; Supports therefor for scaffold elements E04G5/02
• CPC Class Codes: E06C 7/423 Ladder stabilising struts
• CPC Class Codes: E06C 7/426 Height adjustable supports for receiving both ladder feet
• CPC Class Codes: E06C 7/44 Means for mounting ladders on uneven ground
• CPC Class Codes: E06C 7/46 Non-skid equipment

Abstract

A folding leg for a stepladder is disclosed. The folding leg allows the width of the stepladder base to be narrowed when in the stored orientation and widened while in an in-use orientation.

Claims

1. A folding leg for a stepladder, comprising:

a pair of rail legs, each rail leg having two ends;

a pair of leg hinges, each leg hinge attached to a rail leg end on a respective rail leg; and

a moveable step pivotably attached to each rail leg, the moveable step comprising;

a pair of moveable step wings; and

a moveable step center having two ends, the moveable step center pivotably attached at each end to a respective moveable step wing;

wherein the rail legs are moveable from a position in which the rail legs are parallel to a position in which the rail legs are askew.

2. The folding leg for a stepladder of claim 1 wherein each moveable step wing comprises a tread surface and the moveable step center comprises a tread surface.

3. The folding leg for a stepladder of claim 2 wherein the moveable step center tread surface and moveable step wings tread surfaces are parallel when the rail legs are askew.

4. The folding leg for a stepladder of claim 3 wherein the moveable step center tread surface and moveable step wings tread surfaces are coplanar when the rail legs are askew.

5. The folding leg for a stepladder of claim 1 further comprising a lock.

6. The folding leg for a stepladder of claim 5 wherein the lock is attached to the moveable step center.

7. The folding leg for a stepladder of claim 5 wherein the lock comprises:

a button;

a pin;

a moveable step wing aperture; and

a moveable step center aperture;

wherein pressing the button removes the pin from the moveable step wing aperture.

8. The folding leg for a stepladder of claim 7 further comprising a spring, the spring biasing the pin to remain in the step center aperture.

9. The folding leg for a stepladder of claim 7 wherein each moveable step wing comprises a tread surface and the moveable step center comprises a tread surface and wherein the moveable step center tread surface and moveable step wings tread surfaces are coplanar when the rail legs are askew.

10. The folding leg for a stepladder of claim 1 wherein the moveable step center is perpendicular to the rail legs when the folding leg is in the position in which the rail legs are parallel

11. A stepladder comprising:

two front rails, each front rail having a top end and a bottom end;

two rear rails, each rear rail pivotably connected to a respective front rail proximate the front rail top end;

a step;

two rail legs, each rail leg hingedly connected to a respective front rail proximate the front rail bottom end;

a moveable step pivotably attached to each rail leg, the moveable step comprising;

a pair of moveable step wings; and

a moveable step center having two ends, the moveable step center pivotably attached at each end to a respective moveable step wing;

wherein the rail legs are moveable from a position in which each rail leg is collinear to its respective front rail to a position in which each rail legs is not parallel to its respective front rail.

12. The stepladder of claim 11 wherein each moveable step wing comprises a tread surface and the moveable step center comprises a tread surface and wherein the moveable step center tread surface and moveable step wings tread surfaces are parallel when the rail legs are not parallel.

13. The stepladder of claim 12 wherein the moveable step center tread surface and moveable step wings tread surfaces are coplanar when the rail legs are not parallel.

14. The folding leg for a stepladder of claim 11 wherein the moveable step center is perpendicular to the front rails when the rail legs are in the position in which the rail legs are parallel.

15. The folding leg for a stepladder of claim 11 further comprising a lock, the lock comprising:

a button;

a pin;

a moveable step wing aperture; and

a moveable step center aperture;

wherein pressing the button removes the pin from the moveable step wing aperture.

16. The folding leg for a stepladder of claim 15 further comprising a spring, the spring biasing the pin to remain in the step center aperture.

17. A stepladder comprising:

two front rails, each front rail having a top end and a bottom end;

two rear rails, each rear rail pivotably connected to a respective front rail proximate the front rail top end;

a step;

a pair of rail legs, each rail leg having two ends;

a pair of leg hinges, each leg hinge attached to a rail leg end on a respective rail leg; and

a moveable step pivotably attached to each rail leg, the moveable step comprising;

a pair of moveable step wings each step wing comprising a tread surface; and

a moveable step center comprising two ends and a tread surface, the moveable step center pivotably attached at each end to a respective moveable step wing;

wherein the rail legs are moveable from a position in which the rail legs are parallel the front rails to a position in which the rail legs are askew and the moveable step center tread surface is parallel to the step.

18. The stepladder of claim 17 further comprising a lock.

19. The stepladder of claim 18 wherein the lock comprises:

a button;

a pin;

a moveable step wing aperture; and

a moveable step center aperture;

wherein pressing the button removes the pin from the moveable step wing aperture.

20. The folding leg for a stepladder of claim 19 wherein the moveable step center tread surface and moveable step wings tread surfaces are coplanar when the rail legs are askew.